Enemies Return
by Stormfalcon
Summary: The X-Men have a old enemy appear. They are the Brood and they have returned for they need Earth. They need a new queen. They bring an enemy with them though. Please r/r.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men and am not making anything off the story.

Copyright: I own Arlien so ask me if you want to use him.

A Common Enemy Returns

The man was dressed in black from head to toe and was leaning against a wall waiting for a certain girl to walk past. He had been waiting for her for a while now and he felt that he had an answer to her prayers. He smiled to himself then because he knew that the foolish girl would take the proffered cure without a second thought.

The girl was a mutant and the man wanted her to join his ranks. She would be a good addition since her powers would then be nullified. She would be no threat to them then. The man was standing outside of a nightclub where he knew she had gone into. He wondered how much longer she would be when the door opened and she came out by herself.

The girl or young woman rather, was quite beautiful and would make a good queen. She was tall standing near six foot with bright red hair and green eyes. She walked with the easy gate of a natural dancer and she was walking right towards the man in black. 

As she neared the man stepped in front her and cleared his throat. "Excuse me miss but may I ask you something," he asked in a silky voice.

"Yes you may," the lady replied smiling for she thought that the man was handsome and she had not had a date in a while.

He surprised her though with what he said. "I was wondering if you wanted to get rid of your mutant powers. I know a way of doing it and if you wish I can take you to the man that can do it," the man said.

"How do you know I am a mutant. Who are you and what do you want," she demanded not liking the man anymore.

"I am a man who helps mutants deal with their problems. I help them become normal people and live a normal life. That is what I do and who I am," The man said smiling.

"I don't know if I want to be human. Being a mutant is a gift I was told and I have learned to deal with it. I don't know I just don't know," she said shaking her head.

"Of course you know what you want. You want to be human and you want to be loved. I know all these things and more about you and that is why I chose you to be made into a normal person again," the man said. 

"Really. How do you know anything about me unless you have been following me," she said.

"I have been following you so that I could make sure that I chose the right one," the man replied.

She wondered about this man. He seemed sincere but she didn't know him. He knew that she wanted to be human but she hadn't let on in the conversation that wish of hers. She was wary of the man but she really did want to be human and so she said, "If I say yes and go with you how will you cure me."

As the man was about to answer another voice broke in. The voice was gruff and held a bit of a growl to it. "He won't cure you darlin. He will make you into a monster though," the voice said as a shape leapt down from a nearby sign. The shape landed and what she saw made her heart beat faster.

The man was short but extremely muscular. He was wearing a yellow and black suit that had black flaps that extended from his head on either side. As she watched him two sets of metal claws extended from both of his hands and the man launched himself at the man dressed in black. 

The man in black tried to move out of the way but he was too slow and Wolverine's claws were buried into the man's chest all the way to his knuckles. The both of them fell to the ground and then Wolverine stood up and looked down at the creature that lay before him. 

He snorted and said to no one, "Damn things I wish they would just leave us alone." He turned to the woman then who was a bit nervous and said. "Are you alright."

"Yeah I am fine thanks to you. Who are you and what is that thing," she asked as she pointed to the creature that lay at Wolverine's feet. It was green and very large. It had a tail and scales with very large teeth.

"I am Wolverine darlin and this here is what is called The Brood," Wolverine said as he kicked it with the toe of his boot.

"What is it though," the woman wanted to know.

"It is an alien from another world that lives by using other people as a host for its offspring," Wolverine said as he started to walk away from her.

She rushed to catch up to him and she said to him, "Hey um my name is Sally. Thanks for helping me back there if I didn't thank you yet."

"Don't mention it kid. I kill those things whenever I can. As it was you are a mutant and you shouldn't be ashamed of it," Wolverine said to her at his side as they walked down the dark street.

"I know but it was nice to think that I could be normal. Hey um I noticed that you are a mutant too. I was wondering if you could help me out. I don't really have a home or anything and I was hoping that I could stay with you for awhile," she said shyly. She wasn't that kind of girl but she really did need a place to stay. She didn't want to go home now that she knew that things like that were running around and had been following her. They would know where she lived then.

"Come with me. I am going to get in trouble for this probably but I don't want you running around if those things want you," Wolverine said as he took out a cigar and lit it. He puffed on it as him and the girl started towards the mansion where he knew he was going to get a lecture from Cyclops about bringing in strays without talking to the team first.

*****

The man looked up from his last kill. She had been a bit tougher than the last one that he had killed but it was no matter. He had still killed her and all her bodyguards. He had wiped them out; they were no longer on the planet. She had been the last and now he looked around at the devastation.

All around him were strung the bodies of the Brood. They had been killed every one of them by the man who stood over their queen. Blood was dripping from his hands but he didn't care because he had done what he had been brought to the world to do. He was a slayer and he did his job.

"Well Arlien I see that you accomplished your task with as much efficiency as you always do," a voice said from behind Arlien.

Arlien had known that Kress was behind him but also knew that Kress would never harm him. "Was there a doubt that I would fail. You should know better," was all that Arlien said back to Kress.

Arlien stepped over the mutilated body of the Brood queen and shook his head. He wished that he could kill them before they took over bodies but he was never that fast. His guide never found them that fast and so he killed them when he could and never mourned for those that were taken by the Brood.

Arlien walked over to Kress and asked simply, "Where to know."

Kress looked down at a small machine in his hands and replied, "We go to earth now Arlien. It seems one of the six major queens is there. Also it seems that there are a lot of them there. So let's get going don't you think."

Arlien nodded his head as they headed back to their ship. Arlien knew what he was and didn't care for he knew that he would be killed one day. He looked forward to that day because he had no life to speak of. He had no family and no friends. He was alone except for the watcher that was sent with him. He was the only known Brood slayer and he went to do his job.

*****

Cyclops was not in a good mood. He had just found out that Wolverine had brought to the mansion a unidentified mutant. Wolverine had no right to do that without consulting the team and yet Cyclops was sure that he had done it for the simple fact to piss Cyclops off.

Wolverine was sitting in a chair with the other X-Men in the room and Cyclops was pacing back and forth. He turned and looked at Wolverine then and said as calmly as he could, "Wolverine why did you bring her back here. You know our policy. You talk about it with the rest of the team and you don't make the call on your own about bringing in a new mutant."

"Yeah Cyke I know," Wolverine growled out. He was not in a good mood either. He was tired of the boy scout acting all superior. He was going to put him in his place though and so he said, "As for bringing her here. I though it was best since she was being hunted by the Brood."

The entire group looked as if they had just been hit with a notion that was beyond their grasp. "The Brood," Jean asked a bit dazed by that statement.

"Yeah it seems they are back red. I killed the one that wanted her and so I brought her here when she asked," Wolverine said.

"Well I guess that is alright then but I still wish that you would have spoken to us about it first. Speak with the team first next time ok," Cyclops said composed again.

"Yeah I'll do that," Wolverine said as he stood up and left the room.

"I hope that he is wrong because we have had trouble with the Brood before. We needed the help of Ghost Rider once and another time we couldn't even beat them," Cyclops said to the assembled X-Men.

"It be alright mon ami. De X-Men don't lose when de whole team here," Gambit said from where he was sitting next to Rogue.

"I hope that you are right Gambit I really do," Cyclops said quietly so that none could hear him but Jean who was right beside him.

*****

"My queen the one known as Wolverine stopped our brother from getting the woman," The brood soldier said.

The queen was not happy. She needed to get a powerful woman ready for the queen that was on her way to Earth. The one on her way was one of the six. She would be joining their ranks if they got her a good body. She needed a new body for her old one was starting to fail her and she needed a new one in order to live on.

"We need to find a suitable queen body quickly for I feel that our most hated enemy is on his way. Our queen will make it before he does but when he arrives we will have a war on our hands and without her we will surely lose," The queen told her servant.

He bowed his head and hurried from the room. She was not happy but she had been sent a message from the one true queen that the slayer was on his way. They needed a body and they needed one now. They would find one for there was another girl that they could get. Or one of the X-Men women would work perfect. Yes they might just have to get one of the X-Men women.


	2. The Hunters

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men 

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men 

Copyright: I own Arlien so please ask me if you wish to use him.

Coming Home

The X-Men were all assembled and the professor came into the room in his hover chair. He looked around at his X-Men and wished that he didn't have to tell them what he knew. They deserved a break and yet the world wouldn't let them have one. He was tired of having them fight constantly but it seemed that their jobs were never done.

"My X-Men it seems that the Brood is once again stirring and this time they are after a queen. I have gotten that much information," the professor said calmly as he always did.

"Professor we have beaten them before and we will do it again," Cyclops said dutifully.

"I hope that is true Cyclops but it seems that the Brood are getting stronger and learning new ways of fighting," Xavier said.

"Dat be all right professor. De X-Men will win as we always do," Gambit said happily as he smiled around the table at his fellow X-Men. 

"We may need help with this one my X-Men and I will see if I can find the help that we need," Xavier said as he left the room.

*****

The ship landed in a remote area outside of New York city and to keep the ship hide they used the cloaking mechanism to make it appear to be nothing more than a small hill. No one would think twice about a hill next to some other hills and a stand of trees.

"You know that the people here on this planet will look a lot like you Arlien and though that fact may be true they will fear you if you show them your powers," Kress said in way of caution to Arlien.

"I won't show my powers unless I need to Kress you know me better than that," Arlien said in his stone voice that he always used. His voice never held any warmth and Kress was starting to worry about that. He knew that Arlien had nothing to live for and he truly felt sorry for the man but he was a weapon and they needed him in order to battle the brood.

"Well let us go into this city and do not attract any attention to yourself please," Kress said and all Arlien did was look at him with the same cold expression that he always wore.

They walked into New York City and Kress was glad to be back where he originally got started in what he was doing. It was here in this human city that he learned of the X-Men and over time got some of their DNA so that he could later use it in order to make himself a weapon. 

He was sent to Earth to find ones with power for his experiment. Arlien was his experiment but no one but Kress and the Empress Lillandra knew about it. Kress smiled as he thought about what he had told Arlien. Don't draw attention to yourself. Arlien wouldn't try to but his looks would be enough to do it for him. 

As they walked down the street Arlien drew many looks but mostly from women and that was something that Arlien wasn't used to. Back home in the Empire the women had found him not as attractive due to his half-human heritage. He was part terran and that was different and they had a hard time looking at him as if he was a handsome man.

While they were walking down a street a woman came up to Arlien and said, "Hey handsome you want a good time. It will only cost fifty bucks." 

Arlien frowned at her and said, "You do not need to sell your body lady. You are pretty and should have some other way of making money. I shall give you the fifty bucks but I don't need a good time."

The woman shook her head and walked away. As she did Arlien noticed a badge on her purse and he asked Kress about it. Kress started to laugh and he said, "That was a police woman who was working undercover Arlien. If you had agreed she would have arrested you."

Arlien shook his head because he didn't understand but then he didn't need to understand he was on Earth for one reason and that was to kill the Brood. Anything that got in his way was going to suffer the same fate as the Brood because any world that sided with the Brood needed to be killed.

*****

The Brood had brought in it's hunters who it was using in hopes of finding a suitable body for the queen or in finding Arlien and killing him. They were skulking around outside of a strip club where a woman worked who was a mutant and one who they thought might just be good enough for the queen. 

They waited outside after all they were good at waiting, because they were hunters. They were different than the Brood assassins who were sent to kill renegade Brood queens. The hunters were not as tough but they were just as dangerous because they could stalk a person through anything and follow anywhere without being seen. Only one who had been trained to search for them could hope to find a trace of them and luckily there was no human who could do that. 

The Brood assassins were on their way though because the major queen wanted Arlien dealt with. The assassins were the best chance of killing Arlien and all of the Brood knew it including the assassins. The hunters though weren't worried about that because they had a job to do. They were going to capture the woman by the name of Destiny. The queen already had a body but it was always nice to have an extra just in case and that was why they were there.

The hunter's had numbers on their side just in case some of the X-Men showed up. There were more than ten hunters and they knew that if the X-Men found them there would only be maybe two or even three. The hunters were sure that they could take three X-Men.

"It is almost time," the leader hissed to his companions as they watched the Strip Club. The door opened and a woman stepped out and started to walk down the street. She was oblivious to the fact that she was being followed but of course not even the most astute person wouldn't have noticed her being followed.

The hunters followed along behind her at an even pace to match her. They didn't want to get too close because they weren't sure what her powers were and they didn't really want to find out until it was time to take her. They were content to follow at a distance cloaked in the darkness that was everywhere in New York City.

*****

"This Arlien is what is called a Strip Club. It is a place where the women of this planet take their cloths off for money," Kress was explaining to Arlien as they walked down the street. Arlien didn't ask any questions because he didn't feel that he needed to know about the planet that he was on. All he knew was that the more you knew about the planet the more you wanted to stay and the more attached you became to it.

"I don't really care Kress," Arlien said is his monotone voice that never changed except when he was fighting the Brood. Then all it became was a cold howl of fury. It was a howl that would chill the most brave of men on any planet. 

"Arlien you should really learn to care about the planets that you save or you will become nothing more than a killing machine," Kress said exasperated with his charge.

"That is what I am Kress. You know it and I know it so why deny it. I am here to kill not make friends. Friends that I would make I would leave right away anyway," Arlien replied patiently with his watcher.

Just then the door to the strip club opened and a woman stepped out. She was beautiful with long black hair and green eyes that seemed to hold an unlimited amount of compassion. She was tall Arlien noticed standing possibly six feet tall without high heels though at the moment she was wearing high heels that made a clicking noise on the pavement as she walked. She was wearing a tight fitting pair of jeans that had a tear in one leg on the thigh and a red shirt that hung just above her belly button. She didn't even glance at Arlien but then again it was something that Arlien was used to. He had long ago given up on ever finding a woman who he could learn to love.

She walked down the street and it was then that Arlien noticed something shimmer in the darkness in a alley that was across from the Strip Club. Arlien didn't like things that he didn't notice right away and that was something that shouldn't have been there no matter what kind of planet he was on.

He walked across the street dodging cars that honked at him and taxi drivers yelling curses at him. He was oblivious to it all though because he had a feeling about what he was going to find. He came to the mouth of the alley and sniffed. He didn't smell anything but that didn't mean anything.

He walked into the alley to where he had seen the shimmering. He walked around the area sniffing and listening but he couldn't detect anything and just as he thought that he had been imaging things he picked up a faint stench. It was a smell that he knew only too well for he had been killing them for a very long time. He growled deep in his throat and walked back across the street to the same effect as before with the curses and yelling.

"I thought I said not to draw attention to yourself Arlien. That definatly drew attention to you no matter what you think," Kress said from where he was standing underneath the Strip Club sign that read in bright pink letters The Cat's Tail. Kress had his arm crossed and if he had his feathers showing they would have been puffed up. Of course that was something Arlien didn't care about the feelings of Kress who was a Shi'ar empire member.

"Well I am going to draw a lot more attention to myself before the night is over Kress. That woman that we saw come out of the building you are standing next to," Arlien said but was interrupted by Kress.

"This building is a Strip Club now say it with me," Kress said but thought better of it by the look on Arliens face. It was a look that usually meant death to the ones it was directed at.

"What is it Arlien," Kress asked more seriously this time.

"That woman that came out of the building is being followed by a group of hunters," Arlien said as he turned to look where the woman had went.

"So she will be raped by some men it is nothing new Arlien you have seen it happen and I know you don't approve but it has happened on this planet many times and it will continue to happen because men can't control their sexual urges," Kress said by way of explanation.

"Not those kind of hunters Kress. The Brood hunters are after a host body for the queen that is here on this planet. They want that woman and I aim to stop them. This time I will save someone before they are turned or I will die trying," Arlien said as he started down the street that the woman had went down.

*****

"X-Men it seems that the professor has found that there are some Brood here in New York. He has told us that they are following a woman who they intend to capture. Now we all know what will happen to her if she is captured so let's get going," Cyclops said to his gathered teammates.

In the room was Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine, Jubilee, Jean, Iceman, and Beast along with Cyclops. The rest of the team was off trying to find out where the base of the Brood was but they hadn't reported back yet so it was up to the small group to deal with the Brood menace in New York.

"It is no problem Cyke," Logan said from his seat next to Jubilee.

"You can count on us Scott," Jean said from next to him.

"All right then to the Blackbird. We have some Brood to exterminate," Cyclops said as they team all started to leave the room.

"Now you're talking one eye," Wolverine said on his way out of the room and that caused Cyclops to smile.


End file.
